When we are in the right frame of mind and begin to look at the world around us, it is impossible not to see the hand of God in everything. After all, He created everything we see, so I believe that all of the things we are surrounded by in this world have a meaning that we can apply to our lives and to our walk with God. I have never been a big nature lover. It isn’t that I do not appreciate the beauty that God has created around me, but I seldom take the time to stop and look at nature and ponder the meaning of everything I see. As I have gotten older, that has begun to change.

There is a small park in the town where Jeff and I live with a path that goes around the park, and we have gone for walks there for years. Along the path some oak trees have been planted. I have watched those oak trees grow over the years. When we first started going to the park, they were very small and over the years they have slowly grown. While they are still relatively small, I have watched them become bigger and stronger trees. As we were walking by the oak trees, I was reminded of how slowly they grow. It takes many years for an oak to become a substantial, mature tree but once it does, it is one of the strongest and most beautiful trees in all of nature.

I began to think of how the oak tree is symbolic of how God wants our walk with Him to be. The oak tree grows very slowly, but its roots go very deep into the ground. It may take many years for the oak tree to reach maturity, but once it does, its bark is very strong, and it can withstand the strongest of storms. Sure there are other trees that grow faster. The one tree that came to my mind that grows very quickly is the Bradford Pear. While it grows very quickly, it is often the first tree to be damaged by storms. I believe that God wants us to be like the oak tree. He wants us to grow slowly, and He wants our roots to be deep. He wants our outer shell to be strong and to be able to withstand the storms that life brings our way.

God wants us to realize that our growth should be slow. He wants us to know that it may take most of us years to reach our maturity and full understanding of His ways. We may grow impatient and want things to happen quickly, but when we grow slowly with God, our relationship with Him will be deeply rooted, and it will be able to withstand any storm. We do not want to be like the Bradford Pear tree that is easily broken and destroyed in the storm.

Anything lasting takes time to grow and mature. God wants us to be patient and let Him work out the details of our lives. He wants to show us how powerful He is, and He wants us to be in the right place to fully appreciate and understand His power.

So let’s make sure our roots are firmly planted in God’s ways and make sure that we are ready to stand up to the storms of life and be victorious. We can do all of this if we let God guide our steps and let Him be in control of everything in our lives. God will not lead us in the wrong direction, and He will always take care of us.

The next time you see an oak tree, realize that God wants you to be more like that tree. He wants your roots to be strong and deep, he wants your outer shell to be able to protect you from the storms of life, and He wants your growth to be slow and steady. It will make all the difference in your life and it will allow your relationship and faith in God to stand the test of time which will lead to more peace in your life, and PEACE MATTERS.

~Dan~